Bilbao is the first new port destination added in 25 years by Brittany Ferries. The first sailing of the route from Portsmouth took place last Sunday and was served by the 33,000 Cap Finistère.

The Portsmouth-Bilbao crossing will be twice a week and take between 24 and 32 hours, it will arrive at Bilbao’s new terminal, close to Spain’s A8 motorway, with connections to Madrid, the Costa Brava and the south.

The operator made sure it was well placed to catch airline business last year when the ash cloud meant thousands of air passengers wanting to get to and from Spain were stranded and last week picked up an award for its marketing strategy based around this.

Brittany Ferries Group passenger commercial director Mike Bevens said: “As the numbers of air travellers from the UK to Spain have declined, we’ve witnessed a surge in demand for direct UK Spain crossings.

“Our customers welcome being able to relax on a comfortable and spacious cruise-ferry and the freedom that having their own car brings.”

Cap Finistère, which was added to the Brittany Ferries fleet last year, features a children’s playground, a cinema and cafe, a dedicated dog walking area and ten pet-friendly cabins.